Triceps Defined
As their name suggests, triceps are a group of three muscles on the back of your arm – the long head, lateral head, and medial head. They are a vital part of your body since they are essential for motor skills like writing, placing items on a high shelf, and doing pushups and those supernatural yoga poses.
Creating the Ideal Muscle-Building Triceps Routine
You might feel like Floyd Mayweather when you are ripping your triceps out, but according to studies, crushing one curl after another is not enough if you are determined to build sleeve-busting arms. You need to create a sound and healthy triceps workout at-home routine.
It would help if you did a triceps workout routine at home that involves exercises like triceps dips, skull crushers, and triceps kickbacks.
You also have to remember to schedule rest-periods, consume lots of water, and eat healthy foods to get the desired results.
At-Home Triceps Workouts Without Weights
When you are cash-strapped and there are several dumbbell-free triceps workout at home routines you can try to get a great workout. These include:
1. Close-Grip Pushups
It is the best triceps workout without weights, and compared to regular pushups; the close-grip pushups emphasize your triceps by hitting all three heads hard.
To get the most from this workout routine:
- Stay in a pushup position with your hands directly below your shoulders.
- Lower yourself to the floor and bend your elbows at a 45-degree angle.
- Pause and maintain the squeeze in your core.
Ensure you complete 8 to 10 reps of this triceps workout without weights.
2. Triceps Stretch
The triceps stretch is the most specific triceps workout without weights. It not only stretches your triceps but also allows for seamless shoulder mobility.
To get the most out of this workout routine at home, ensure that you:
- Stand with your hand behind your neck and with your elbow pointing up.
- Use the other hand to pull your elbow in.
- Hold for ten seconds on each side, and voila! You will have completed one rep.
Ensure you do 8 to 10 reps of this workout routine for the best results.
3. Chaturanga
There is a reason why yoga-enthusiasts tend to have triceps like Gal Gadot’s in Wonder Woman 1984. According to research, Chaturanga is the most functional triceps workout without weights since it challenges you to hold your entire body with the triceps.
To get the most out of this yoga pose, be sure to:
- Set up on a regular plank position.
- Lower your elbows to your shoulder height by pinning them against your side.
- Place your chest, upper arms, and shoulders in alignment.
- Push back to the plank position.
Ensure you do 2 x 10 reps in one workout routine at home.
4. Plank Up-Down
Plank up-down exercises work all of your major muscles and boost your range of motion since you are forced to power up off the floor.
To get the most from this triceps workout without weight, ensure you:
- Start in a high plank position with your hands flat on the floor.
- Lower your right arm down so that the forearm is on the floor. Repeat with your left arm.
- Put your right hand back on the floor to spread out your arm and follow with the left arm to end back in the high plank position.
Ensure you do 6 to 8 reps of this exercise. Also, make sure that you keep your hip still as you move to not sway sideways for the best results.
5. Diamond Pushups
Diamond pushups are rated the most challenging triceps workout without weights. The routine needs tremendous upper body strength, so you might have to try it on your knees and work your way up to your toes.
To get the desired results from this routine, be sure to:
- Position your hands on the mat below your chest with your fingers spread and touching to form a diamond shape.
- Straighten your legs into the plank position. You can also keep your knees on the floor for an easier time.
- Keep your back flat and abs engaged as you bend your elbows.
- Lower yourself until your chest touches the mat, ensuring your elbows stay close to the sides.
- Press back to keep your torso rigid.
Ensure you do one to three sets of 8 to 10 reps.
6. Monkey Bars
Remember jumping from one bar to another as a kid? Well, this workout routine takes you back to the good old days. It is one of the most straightforward triceps workout routines.
Unlike with the other routines, with this workout, you have three options. You can:
- Move laterally by first facing perpendicular to the bars, then reaching from the side and getting your other hand over.
- You can also start with both hands on the monkey bar, then moving forward from one bar to the next.
- You can also try the monkey-like method of swinging with one-arm from bar to bar. However, since this mode can strain your shoulders, doctors recommend avoiding it entirely.
For the monkey move, ensure you make two trips through the bars.
7. Triceps Dip
The triceps dip allows you to get your whole body workout by emphasizing the arms (triceps) and abs. It is also the most effective triceps workout without weights.
To get the most from the workout routine, be sure to:
- Place a seat behind you.
- Lower yourself slowly and keep your heels on the floor and elbows pointed behind your body for the best results.
- Push back up in a systematic way.
Ensure you also do 2 x 10 reps of this workout routine.
At-Home Triceps Workouts with Weights
If you have some dumbbells at home and are looking to get a quick but worthwhile triceps workout at home, you might want to try these exercises:
1. Bent-Over Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
It is an incredible triceps workout with weights. To get the most out of it, be sure to:
- Bend your knees forward and pivot forward at your hips, keeping your core tight and back steady.
- Hold your hands at your sides with weights in each hand and palms facing each other.
- Bend your elbows until the forearms are parallel to the floor. Make sure that you remember to keep the elbows tight by your ribs.
- Kick the dumbbells back to straighten your arms.
Ensure you do four sets of 8 to 12 reps of this upper body dumbbell workout at home.
2. Dumbbell Floor Press
It is the most effective triceps workout with weights routine. According to experts, this routine offers you 88% of muscle stimulation.
To get the most out of this upper body dumbbell workout at home, make sure that you:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Hold a dumbbell in both hands with elbows at 45-degrees from the sides.
- Keep your lower back pressed on the floor and press the dumbbells straight over your chest, extending your arms.
- Pause. Bend your elbows to lower the weights back down until the back of the arms return to the ground.
Be sure to do 8 to 10 reps of this workout.
3. Skull Crusher
It is the go-to triceps workout with weights because it allows you to isolate your triceps.
To get the desired results, be sure to:
- Lie down with your knees bent and feet flat.
- Hold the weights in your hands, extending your arms straight up towards the ceiling.
- Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells towards your head.
- Keep your elbows steady and ensure you do not move your shoulders or upper arms.
- Lower the weights so that they are on either side of your head.
Be sure to do one to three sets of 8 to 16 reps of this workout.
4. Tate Press
The Tate Press is a weird triceps workout with weights, but it stimulates triceps development faster than other workout routines.
To have the best results from this upper body dumbbell workout at home, be sure to:
- Position yourself as you would with a bench press by lying flat on the bench with weights on both hands and arms extended above your chest.
- Bend at the elbows and move the weights inwards and downwards towards your chest.
Do 8 to 16 reps of this workout routine.
5. Dumbbell Overhead Shoulder Press
It is a simple triceps workout with weights. For the best outcome, make sure you:
- Stand with your feet apart. Hold the weights in each hand at your shoulders, with the palms facing out and elbows bent.
- Press the weights overhead, ensuring your elbows are straight.
- Keep your core engaged and hips inserted under to prevent your back from arching your lower back when you lift your arms.
Ensure you do 8 to 10 reps of this upper body dumbbell workout at home.
6. Overhead Triceps Extensions
These are the most effective triceps workout with weights, and they give you 76% of muscle stimulation.
To get the desired results, be sure to:
- Sit on a chair and hold the dumbbells in your hands, extending them overhead.
- Keep the biceps close to your ears and ensure your elbows point forward as you lower the dumbbells.
- Straighten out your arms, contracting the triceps.
Ensure you do one to three sets of 8-12 reps of this upper body dumbbell workout at home.
7. Close-Grip Dumbbell Chest Press
The close-grip chest press offers you about 60% muscle activation. You can get the most from this upper body dumbbell workout at home when you:
- Lie on the bench and hold dumbbells with both hands.
- Keep your elbows bent and hold the weights close to your ribcage.
- Press the weight straight up over the ribcage and focus on contracting your triceps.
Do one to three sets of 8 to 16 reps.
Benefits of Triceps Workouts
There are numerous benefits to a triceps workout routine at home. Some of the perks include:
- Toned triceps help in improving the stability of one’s shoulders and elbow joints.
- An ideal triceps workout at home also increases your overall arm strength, power, and endurance.
- You can do yoga poses like the downward dog, bench presses, and even shoulder presses seamlessly.
- A triceps workout at home is also perfect for sports like tennis, golf, and basketball.
Remember, Warm Up and Stretch
Like with other upper body dumbbell workout at-home routines, you need to ensure you do some warm-ups and stretch. Warming up is vital for your triceps workout routines since it:
- Prepares your body for the workout session.
- Elevates your motivation and mood.
- Improves your performance.
- Lowers the risk of injury.
To warm up effectively, ensure that you do some light cardio like jogging, hopping, or moving your shoulders and wrists to allow the blood to flow and get your muscles warm.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can do a triceps workout at home and biceps workouts the same day. The two are located in one’s upper arm, even though they are found in different regions. Nonetheless, since they are in various muscle groups, you can comfortably do biceps and triceps same-day workout routines.
To effectively target your triceps, you need a solid workout routine at home. Some of the world-class exercises you can try to build your triceps and give you Kratos’ strength include:
- Triceps dips
- Triceps kickbacks
- Skull crushers
- Diamond pushups
As with any other muscles, you need to stick to a strict schedule for a triceps workout routine at home. As per the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), you need to train your triceps at least twice every week on non-consecutive days.
Bottom Line
The triceps workouts we’ve presented to you should help you build your triceps and tone your arms, helping you achieve a better upper body.
After trying all weight-training and heart-stopping pushups, and if nothing seems to work, you can consult a certified fitness instructor and figure out a more effective triceps workout at home.
You should also make sure that you eat healthily, rest well, and hydrate.